Improvement in devices for lighting and extinguishing lamps



S. O. SWETT. Device for Lightingand Extinguishing Lamps, 8w.

No. 207,995. v Patented 'Sept. 10. 1878.

'mun i Lml llmmlll WITNESSES.- c*- INVENTOR- N PETERS,PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASH NGTON, D O,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SULLIVAN O. SWETT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TOHIMSELF, SAMUEL R. STRATTAN, AND JOHN THEODORE STRATTAN,

OF STRATTANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING LAMPS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,995, datedSeptember 10, 1878 application filed May 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SULLIVAN CLARK SWETT, of Washington, in the countyof Washington andDistrict of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Lighting and Extinguishing Lanterns and Lamps; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

The objeetIhave inviewis to produce lighting andextinguishin g devices,by which a light can be quickly and easily put out or lighted, whendesired, without the trouble and danger of using a match in the ordinarymanner, and by which, in inclosed and protected lights, such aslanterns, thewick can be ignited without opening the case of thelantern, and with out liability of the light being blown out by thewind. These means are simple in their construction, and therefore quitecheap in cost, and are certain in their operation.

My invention therein consists in the construction of the lighting andextinguishing devices, and in the several combinations of the operativeparts, as fully hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lantern embodying myinvention, with the door swung open to show the operating parts; Fig. 2,a vertical cross-section of the same, with the extinguishin g-hooddropped over the top of the burner; Fig. 3, a view of the lighting andextinguishing devices removed from the lantern; Fig. 4, a separate viewof the blank for making the match-carrying wheel; and Fig. 5, a sectionthrough the friction-disk and its spindle.

Like letters of reference denote correspondin g parts in all thefigures.

A represents the case of a lantern; a, the door to the same; and b thewick tube or burner. These are shown in the form of a pocket or darklantern, the door having alens, a, through which the light passes; butmy invention is equally well adapted for use with other hand-lanterns,which often it may be found desirable to light when the wind is blowing,or when it would be dangerous to light a match in the ordinary way, andalso to stationary lanterns, such as ship-lights, which could be lightedand extinguished without removing them from their positions.

On thelback A of the lantern, behind the burner b, is mounted arevolving wheel, B, having ratchet-teeth b on its periphery, by which itis turned.

Match-holding sockets c are formed on the edge of the wheel B, the samein number as the ratchet-teeth, and project at right angles to the faceof the wheel. Thiswhcel, its ratchet-tecth, and match-holding socketsare preferably constructed from a single piece of sheet metal, the flatblank being shown in Fig. 4.

By turning up the parts 0 of the blank on the dotted lines, and twistingthe outer corners of these parts together, thezsockets 0 will be formed,one just in front of each ratchettooth. The wheel B is placed in such aposition that in its revolutionlthe socket 0 will in turn be brought inline with the top of theburner.

A sliding rod, 0, is arranged vertically in the case of the lantern, andis guided in any suitable manner. To this rod is attached a spring-pawl,d, which engages with the ratohet-teeth I) on the wheel-513. This rod 0may be moved by a knob, 01, on its upper end, where it projects throughthe case; or thezrod may be confined entirely in the case, and be movedby a knob, d", secured to a pin projecting from the rod, and sliding ina slot in the back A of the lantern-case.

D is a metal disk, with a friction-surface on its inner side of anysuitable material. This disk is mounted in an inclined position on theend of a spindle, e, projecting from the back A of the lantern; andagainst the outside of the disk is held, by a screw setting into the endof the spindle, a spring, 0, which allows the disk to spring outwardlyto a limited extent when rubbed on its friction-surface.

The friction-disk is placed, as shown, just back and on one side of theburner, and in front of a portion of the edge of the wheel B, so thatthe match-sockets move behind such disk through a part of theirrevolution.

E is a bent lever, pivoted to the back A, and working at its outer endin a loop, f, secured to or a slot formed in the sliding rod 0. At itsinner end the lever E is provided with a hood, E, which, when droppeddown over the burner by the upward movement of the rod 0, willextinguish the light, and by the downward movement of such rod this hoodwill be raised out of the way of the light. With the opposite side ofthe wheel B from the pawl d engages a spring-detent, g, secured to thecase of the lantern, and having an angular end, 9, of such form that itfits over the ratchetteeth, and prevents the wheel B from being turnedby the upward movement of the pawl, and also stops such wheel when thepawl has reached the lower limit of its movement, so that the lightedmatch will always be in the right position to ignite the wick.

In the bottom of the lantern-case, at the front thereof, is placed amatch-box, h, having a small door, h, just below the door a of thelantern, which closes the front of the matchbox.

The top of this box forms a support for the oil-pot 'i, and raises theoil-pot above the bottom of the lantern-case, so that the matchsocketscan pass under such oil-pot in their revolution.

In operation, the sockets a would first be filled with short matches,which may be placed in the sockets either when the lamp is in or out ofthe lantern, but more conveniently after it has been removed therefrom.The wick is then adjusted by means of the wick-raising stem, whichpreferably should be made to project through the side of thelantern-case, so that it can be operated from the outside of thelantern.

When it is desired to light the wick, supposing'the rod 0 to be in itsupward position, such rod is moved quickly downward, and one of thematches will be rubbed against the friction-disk, and brought quiteclose to the wick in a lighted condition. Then, by moving the rod 0upwardly, the hood IE will extinguish the light, and the pawl 01 willengage with another ratchet-tooth and be ready to turn the wheel 13 whenthe rod is again moved down. The same movement of the rod 0 raises thehood from the wick and lights the same.

By arranging the friction-surface on a disk capable of being revolved onits spindle every match, as it strikes such disk, will turn it till thematch reaches a central line on the disk,

and it will then be scratched and lighted, so

that the disk will be turned for a short distance every time the wheel Bis moved, and will present a new surface to each match.

By the inclination of this disk the matches are moved past the edge ofits friction-surface before touching, and therefore will not injure theedge of the disk, or be lighted before being rubbed across the surfaceof the same. The spring e is especially adapted to assist the revolvingmovement of the disk, since it equalized the friction of the matchesagainst its rough surface. The construction of the other parts of themechanism for lighting and extinguishing is very simple, and the partsare few in number, so that they can be arranged 1n a very compact mannerand applied at a comparatively small cost. They are also sure inoperation, a match being lighted at every movement of the wheel 13. Ihave designed to use with this lantern ordinary parlor-matches, cut tothe proper length.

- It is evident that the lighting and extinguishing devices abovedescribed could be applied to lamps, in which case it would be foundconvenient to mount them upon a-reflector behind the light.

Having thus fully described my invention, and explained some of itsadvantages, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination, with the revolving match-carrying wheel providedwith ratchetteeth on its periphery, of a sliding rod having a pawlengaging with the said ratchet-teeth, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the wheel B, having ratchet-teeth b andmatch-sockets c, of the rod 0, provided with pawl 11, and the detent g,substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination, with the sliding rod op-' erating the lightingdevices, of the pivoted lever having extinguishing -hood, and con nectedto the said sliding rod, so that the hood is raised from the wick, andthe wick is ignited by the same movement of the said sliding rod,

substantially asand for the purpose set fortlu 4. The combination, withthe match-carrying wheel provided with ratchet-teeth on its periphery,of the sliding rod having pawl and the lever carryingextinguishing-hood, connected to such sliding rod, substantially asdescribed and shown.

5. In lighting devices, the friction-disk, mounted on the end of aspindle and adapted to be revolved so that it will present a new surfaceto each match, substantially as described.

6. The revolving friction-disk mounted on a spindle and adapted tobepartially revolved by the rubbing of each match on its frictionsurface,the said disk being inclined on the spindle, and provided with a springto allow it to yield when a match is pressed against it, substantiallyas described and shown.

7. The combination of the revolving friction-disk with the revolvingmatch-carrying wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, in lighting and extinguishin g devices, of arevolving match-carry- This specification signed and witnessed this ingwheel, a sliding rod operating such wheel 29th day of April, 1878. andthe extinguishing-hood, and a revolving friction-disk, substantially asdescribed and SULLIVAN CLARK SWETT. shown.

9. The match-carrying wheel '13, having Witnesses:

ratchet-teeth b and match-sockets c, all made R. N. DYER, from a singleblank of sheet metal, substan- WARREN SEELY.

tially in the manner described and shown.

